Valve



Sept. 4, 1945. I H. N. RIDER 2,384,342

VALVE Filed July 7, 1944` Zmventor Clttorneg Patented Sept. 4, 1945VALVE Harry N. Rider, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Automatic SprinklerCompany of America, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of DelawareApplication July 7, 1944, Serial No. 543,816

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a valve and more particularly to a pressureactuated valve adapted for uid control.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a valvewherein iluid pressure normally controlled by the valve is utilized toeiiect the quick opening thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a uid pressureactuated valve incorporating means for utilizing iluid pressure ininitiating a mechanical action employed to release the valve element ofthe said valve.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a iiuidcontrolled valve capable of actuation by an automatic valve mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a valveincorporating means' for resetting the valve unlatching mechanism.

The fluid valve shown and described herein has been designed to form anefficient and dependable means of controlling the ilow of fluid, such asfire extinguishing uid, in a communication line such as a riser of a reextinguishing system. The valve is so formed that a valve elementnormally closed therein is held in closed position by a movable latch.Mechanism is provided in the valve body for the actuation of the movablelatch byv the direction thereagainst of a mechanical forcea Themechanical force employed for releasing the valve element latch isapplied by a mechanism wherein movement is initiated by the applicationof the fluid force thereto, the movement utilized being in the form ofthe applied iluid force plus the accumulated momentum of the mechanicalmeans employed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment f the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional side elevation of the valve.

Figure 2 is a partial side elevation of the reverse side of the valveillustratedk in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial side elevation of a valve illustrating amodification in the valve element releasing means.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it willbe seen that a fluid control 55 valve has been illustrated whichconsists of a valve body IU having an inlet II and an outlet I2. Aclapper I3 is pivotally affixed to the valve body by means of a pivotpin I4 and the clapper I3 is adapted to seat upon a seat ring I5 andthereby control the said inlet lI. The clapper I3 is provided with aprojection I6 which is adapted to be held by an appropriately shapedlatch Il lwhich is positioned in the valve body Iii by means of a pivotpin I8 in a manner so that it is capable of movement.

In order that movement can be imparted to the latch Il so as to move itwith respect to the projection I6 of the clapper I3 and thereby permitthe clapper i3 to be opened by fluid pressure in the inlet Il of thevalve, means is provided which includes a body extension IBA forming acylinder I9 for the reception of a piston 2i) which is provided with anenlarged head 2 i. The cylinder I9 is formed in two diameters toaccommodate the piston 2i) and its head I9. The piston 2D is positioned`freely in the cylinder I9 so that it may move readily with respectthereto and is, therefore, preferably formed of a material capable ofresisting rust, corrosion and the deposit of foreign materials thereon.A cap 22 is positioned on the body extension IGA and is provided withinwardly directed lugs 23 which serve to limit the travel of the piston2li-so as to provide a chamber 24 beneath the cap 22. An inlet orifice25 in the cylinder I9 is placed in communication with an outlet orifice26 formed in the inlet lI of the valve body by means of a tubular member2l. The tubular member 2l is controlled by an automatic valve 28 capableof remote actuation. (See Figure 2.)

By referring again to Figure 1 oithe drawings it will be observed thatthe lowermost portion of the latch Il is preferably formed with an oiset29 adapted to be struck by the piston 2G at such time as the same ismoved rapidly to the left in Figure 1 as by the introduction of fluidpressure into the chamber 24. It will be observed that the formation ofthe actuating means permits the piston 2B to travel prior to engagingthe offset 29 on the latch I1 so as to impart striking movement theretoand thus move the upper opposite end of the latch Il off of theprojection I6 of the clapper I3 thereby releasing the same. Thisconstruction results in the application of two forces to the latchstructure thereby insuring its operation. One of these forces is theforce of the uid pressure from the inlet II of the valve as appliedagainst the head 2l of the piston 20 and the other is the momentumaccumulated by the piston 20, which is of relatively large size, thecombined forces being sufficient to insure movement of the latch ll andhence the release of the clapper I3. It will thus be seen that when theValve illustrated and described herein is subject to the control of aremotely positioned apparatus capable of actuating the automatic valve28 the valve mechanism will automatically and positively release theclapper I3 thereby permitting the fluid inthe inlet ll to enter the bodyI and hence any sprinkler piping in communication with the outlet l2thereof.

Still referring to Figure 1 of the drawing it will be seen that meansfor resetting the valve actuating mechanism has been provided in theformation of the latch Il, it being only necessary to open the hand holecover yof the valve ID (not shown) and manually move the latch I'I intothe position illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1 to cause the lowerend of the latch Il to move the piston 26 to the right and hence backinto the cylinder I9. When this has been accomplished the latch il isallowed -to return to its normal vertical or near vertical position atwhich time the clapper I3 can be closed, the formation of the projectionI6 thereof being so designed that it will move the latch Il momentarilyand then be retained beneath the upper end of the latch l?. The valvehand hole cover (not shown) is then replaced and the valve is ready forsubsequent operation.

By referring to Figure 3 of the drawing it will be seen that a modifiedvalve actuating mechanism has been illustrated in connection with avalve body 29 having an inlet 33 and a clapper 3| normally closedcontrolling the said inlet. A latch 32 engages a projection on theclapper 3i and is movably positioned in the valve body 29 by means of apivot 33. A cylindrical extension 29A is relatively longer than thecylindrical eX- tension IDA of the body of the valve illustrated inFigure 1, and is adapted to receive in a readily slidable manner apiston 34. A cap 35 is provided to enclose the outermost end of thecylindrical body extension 29A and an inlet oriilce 35 communicates withthe interior of the cylindrical body 29A adjacent the cap 35. Fluid fromthe inlet 30 of the valve 29 is intended to be introduced through theinlet 3S in exactly the same manner as heretofore described inconnection with the valve illustrated in Figures l and 2, thecommunication channel through which the fluid is introduced being underthe control of an automatic valve capable of remote actuation. Themodification comprises the formation of the piston 34 as a member ofuniform diameter throughout its length. In use, the introduction offluid into the cylindrical body. 2SA through the inlet orice 36 servesto drive the piston 34 to the left so that it strikes a projection 3l onthe lowermost end of the latch 32 thereby imparting striking movement tothe latch 32 suncient to cause it to move and thus release the clapper3l so that uid pressure in the inlet 3l of the valve 29 may raise theclapper 3| and flow through the valve. The force applied to the latch 32in this modified valve construction is primarily that of the momentum ofthe moving piston .34. An inwardly extending projection 38 is formed onthe cap 35 to limit the movement of the piston 34 with respect to theright hand end of the cylindrical body member 29A so that it cannotblock the inlet orifice and hence render itself inoperative.

It will thus be seen that a modified formation of the valve illustratedin Figure 1 and heretofore described has been disclosed in Figure 3wherein the formation of the actuating mechanism results in thepractical dependency of the valve for actuation upon the momentum of thepiston 34, the momentum being applied thereto by the fluid pressure fromthe inlet 30 of the valve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A fluid control valve comprising a valve body having a clapper hingedtherein adapted to close a passageway therethrough, latch means normallyengaging the said clapper so as to retain it in closed position, meansto release said latch, means establishing communication between theinlet portion of the said passageway and the said latch releasing means,and means controlling the said communication means.

2. A fluid control Valve comprising a valve body having a clapper hingedtherein adapted to close a passageway therethrough, latch means normallyengaging the said clapper so as to retain it in closed position, meansto release said latch, means establishing communication between theinlet portion of the said passageway and the said latch releasing means,and means controlling the said communication means, said latch releasingmeans including a cylinder having a piston movably positioned therein inalignment with said latch.

3. A pressure actuated valve comprising in combination a valve bodyhaving an inlet portion and an outlet portion with a communicationchannel therebetween, a movably positioned clapper adapted to close thesaid communication channel, a movable latch member adapted to retain theclapper in closed position, a fluid pressure actuated means including apiston for releasing the said movable latch, and means for directing uidpressure from the said inlet portion against the said piston so as tomove the same and thereby unlatch the said clapper.

4. A pressure actuated valve comprising in combination a valve bodyhaving an inlet portion and an outlet portion with a communicationchannel therebetween, a movably positioned hinged clapper adapted toclose the said communication channel, a latch adapted to normally retainthe clapper in closed position, and fluid pressure actuated means formoving the said latch so as to unlatch the said clapper, said fluidpressure actuated means comprising a piston in a cylinder formed in thevalve body adjacent the said latch, the said piston adapted to be movedinto engagement with the said latch, means establishing communicationbetween the said cylinder and the said inlet portion of the said valvebody, and a normally closed automatic valve in said communication meansso that upon the opening thereof Ythe pressure therein is directed intothe said cylinder and against the said piston to move the said latch andthereby release the said clapper. n

5. A pressure actuated valve comprising in combination a valve bodyhaving an inlet portion and an outlet portion with a communicationchannel therebetween, a movably positioned clapper adapted to close thesaid communication channel, amovable latch member'adapted to retain theclapper in closed position, means for moving the latch memberawayfromthe saidA clapper, and means for establishing communication betweenthe inlet portion of the Asaid valve body and the said latch movingmeans and for controlling the same.

6. A pressure actuated valve comprising in combination a valve bodyhaving an inlet portion and an outlet portion with a communicationchannel therebetween, a movably positioned clapper adapted to close thesaid communication channel, a movable latch member adapted to retain theclapper in closed position, a uid pressure actuated means including apiston for releasing the said vmovable latch, and means for directingfluid pressure from the said inlet portion against the said piston so asto move the same and thereby unlatch the said clapper, the said movablelatch comprising a vertically positioned lever pivotally mounted in thesaid valve body and having an offset at the uppermost end for engagingthe said clapper and an offset on the lowenmost end for engaging thesaid piston so that it can be used for manually resetting the 1o saidpiston for subsequent operation.

HARRY N. RIDER.

